Descent - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter nineteen

Mattheo

May 24nd, 12 p.m. , Peverell Estate

With a flick of my wand, I conjured deep, grave-shaped holes in the damp earth. "Mobilicorpus," I murmured, and with a subtle, almost reverent gesture, the lifeless bodies were lifted, floating solemnly before me as I guided them into their final resting places. One by one, I repeated the process, feeling the weight of each loss as if it were my own. As I lowered the last body, I noticed a shift in Lucia's demeanor. Her confusion was palpable.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, finishing my task.

She hesitated, then nodded slowly. "Did you... Did you forget some of my family members? Or confuse them with Death Eaters?" Her gaze was a mixture of hope and despair, oscillating between the freshly dug graves and my face.

"No," I replied with unwavering certainty. I had meticulously studied her family's records, and each Death Eater was unmistakably marked by a cloak, a silver mask, or a presence I was familiar with. The only family members I found were her parents, her sister, and the brother whose head had been severed. Two other men and a woman, possibly distant relatives or family allies, were also laid to rest, but they were not Death Eaters. "Why?" I finally asked.

"My Aunt Ellie is missing," she said, her voice trembling. "My sisters Chloe and Aurelie are missing too... and my older brother, Caleb."

"I only found these. The others weren't here, not even among the Death Eaters," I assured her, shrugging slightly.

Her eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope, a fleeting yet powerful emotion. She clung to the possibility that some of her family might have survived, and I let her. I knew there were curses that could obliterate bodies entirely, leaving nothing behind, but I allowed her to hold onto that fragile hope.

The house, despite its extensive damage and the shattered protective spells, had shown no signs of Death Eater activity since the attack. We couldn't stay here indefinitely, but for the rest of the day and night, it might offer us a semblance of safety. A proper bed and the chance to search for useful items wouldn't hurt. Lucia wouldn't stay if her family's remains were still scattered, but a proper burial and the hope of survivors might anchor her for a little while longer.

After laying the family to rest, we conjured wooden crosses, placing them carefully into the earth. By now, the last of the Death Eaters had been cremated, the acrid smell of ash replacing the stench of death. Lucia lingered at the graves, pacing back and forth, her eyes scanning the property. Aside from the graves, the scorched and uprooted ground, there were few remnants of the violence. The house, though partially in ruins, now resembled a structure worn by time rather than destroyed by malevolence. The estate could finally find a semblance of peace.

Lucia's eyes glistened with unshed tears. She struggled to keep them at bay. "I need a moment to think," she said, her voice strained. She began walking towards the forest, a different path from the one we had taken to get here. I let her go, recognizing her need for solitude. I watched until she vanished from sight, then turned back towards the house to continue our search for anything that might aid us.

I began my search in the living room, where remnants of the past lay scattered amidst the debris. Hidden compartments yielded galleons and a few valuable items tucked away for safekeeping. Money was crucial in our current predicament, offering us the means to procure supplies and services that could ensure our survival.

Moving into the kitchen, I was relieved to find it relatively intact. Cabinets and drawers had been rifled through, but a small cache of canned goods remained untouched. Beans, vegetables, and even a few canned meats. It wasn't a feast, but it was sustenance. I set about preparing a simple meal, slicing the preserved meats and frying them lightly with some vegetables. The smell of food cooking filled the air, a welcome change from the lingering scent of ash and death that still haunted the estate.